and other culinary musings

This morning I had one of life’s most dreaded moments. I bumped right into a friend from work (a model…no joke) while on my run. And I wasn’t even wearing a cute running outfit. Sweaty. Extremely red faced (what can I say, I come from hearty Irish and German peasants) . Probably smelling a little, uh, less than fresh. Double ugh. I drowned my sorrows in plenty of free honey samples at the Greenmarket and came home to make this oh so comforting dish of baked eggs. All ingredients (except the parm) were purchased this morning, from the local vendors in Union Square. There is something so homey about farm fresh eggs. The yolk is bright orange; quite cheerful if you ask me (you didn’t, but I’m telling you anyway. A personality flaw, I realize). The fresh spinach adds a serving of veggies and the ham is a perfectly salty surprise hidden underneath the eggs. I toasted up some 7 grain to scoop up the yolks. It’s great for brunch, lunch, or even a light dinner paired with a green salad. Not doing meat? Try replacing the ham with some oven roasted tomatoes. It smells so good in here I almost forgot this mornings encounter. Almost. Come to think of it, you go try this recipe while I dig up some more attractive running attire. My ego is way to big to allow this to happen again.

Baked Eggs

Baked Eggs (1 serving)
1 tsp olive oil
2 eggs
2 large handfuls fresh spinach
1 thin slice ham
1 tbsp freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400. Coat an individual sized baking dish or ramekin with cooking spray. In a non-stick pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add spinach, a sprinkling of salt, and cook until wilted. Spread into the bottom of the baking dish. Into the same non-stick pan, add ham, fry about 30 seconds until heated through. Layer ham on top of spinach. Crack two eggs on top of ham, sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper and parm. Bake in oven for about 7 minutes, until eggs whites are set. Serve with toast.